"Hi, uh, so." Wooyoung desperately tries to shake off the blankness that washed over him as soon as the pretty receptionist looked up from his laptop and smiled at him. "Do you have a phone?"
A moment passes. Wooyoung wants to facepalm.
~~~
Growing...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The second that San wakes up to a view on the clear, cold sky outside, yesterday evening's events – or non-events - come back to him: Wooyoung failing to show up at San's room. And today, Wooyoung will leave.
San hopes he will be able to see Wooyoung one last time before he'll go. Whatever they had, leaving it unresolved doesn't sit right with San. He's ready for a rejection, he tells himself again, anything for the sake of closure. It feels stupid having scratched his phone number into the one stone that Wooyoung – hopefully – remembers from the time San showed him the sunset from one of the island's hills. It feels stupid, and it would feel even stupider giving it to Wooyoung only to be told to keep it because Wooyoung has no use for it, doesn't intend on calling San.
San tries to push these thoughts aside as he strips for a quick shower. He can't change Wooyoung's mind, not if Wooyoung has already silently decided to end things between them, but he at least doesn't want to look as exhausted and tired and hopeless as he feels. If Wooyoung didn't make up his mind yet, though, or if he didn't give the possibility of staying in touch any serious thought so far... San hates that he's thinking like that, but maybe Wooyoung will like keeping in touch with San more if San only looks good enough today. The first time they met, Wooyoung approached him because of his appearance, too.
San keeps thinking about it during his shower, conscious of his body, contemplating whether he is too slim or not slim enough in some places. When the water turns colder, he cuts off the shower to stare at his reflection in the steamed-over mirror. How does a guy look that Wooyoung is interested in? A person he is curious about for more than a week, someone he feels attracted to in one way or another and wouldn't even contemplate whether or not to call?
San considers styling his hair with hair spray that he used during his first week of working at the hotel to show a little more effort. But- no, that would be obvious and make being rejected all the more bitter. San can imagine it only too well: him handing Wooyoung this stupid blue stone, showing the spot where he scratched in his number in the surface, only for Wooyoung to stop him, put the stone back in his hand and close his fingers over it. I liked spending time with you, San-ah, he might say, but I want afresh start in Seoul, you know?. Or – no, he wouldn't say it like that, not that assertive. San can see it, though, how Wooyoung would imply a No, something along the lines of don't know yet, might be busy. Maybe a different reasoning. Maybe he would also back up instead of touching San's hand to press the stone back in his palm. But San believes that, overall, he is already aware of the blueprint of their conversation.
After drying and dressing himself, he slips the stupid blue stone in his pocket. No matter how certain he is about Wooyoung's reaction, San would hate to later remember their time thinking, What if? He styles his hair with care but without hair spray, and puts on little makeup that should be basic enough not to be apparent.
Stepping back from his mirror, San tries to steel himself. This – black hair fluffed up, moisturised and smooth skin, no obvious bags under his eyes – is the best he can do look-wise at the moment. He's tried to up the little things he could influence. Hoping for, and at the same time dreading, to see Wooyoung, San leaves his room to head downstairs.
